4th Test Day 4 England win the series

England 238 (Cook 51, Lyon 4-42) and 330 (Bell 113, Harris 7-117, Lyon 3-55) beat Australia 270 (Rogers 110, Watson 68, Broad 5-71) and 224 (Warner 71, Broad 6-50) by 74 runs


To Headingley and Edgbaston 1981 may be added Durham 2013. As happened 32 years ago, Australia tossed away day upon day of diligent cricket with a crowded hour or so of batting calamity, against bowling of high quality from an England team that had looked momentarily bereft of inspiration.
 

Where in 1981 Bob Willis and Ian Botham had rained blows on their antipodean rivals, this time it was Stuart Broad, aided by a critical cameo from Tim Bresnan. Back then, England had been marshalled expertly by Mike Brearley; now it was Alastair Cook who pulled the right rein by replacing Graeme Swann with Bresnan when Australia were 167 for 2 and hurtling towards 299 to win.

 

What followed was a cavalcade of wickets that undid nine days' worth of hard graft from an Australia team straining to break a sequence of ineptitude. England would have hoped to stay in the match with four wickets after tea - they won it by claiming nine, six to a fearsome Broad. Slightly sheepish in their Ashes retention in Manchester, the hosts could now celebrate winning them in dramatic and damaging style.

Tea Australia 270 and 120 for 1 (Warner 57*, Khawaja 6*) need 179 more runs to beat England 238 and 330 (Bell 113, Harris 7-117, Lyon 3-55)

David Warner and Chris Rogers blunted England's bowlers in a stirring century stand as Australia dreamed of a remarkable chase to win the fourth Investec Test in Durham. Graeme Swann struck as a late tea ticked near to end Rogers' enormous contribution to the match, but Warner looked secure, having played with as much assurance as anyone on a pitch that has misbehaved.

He had doubtless been inspired to such an effort by those of Ryan Harris, who put in an astounding performance given his age and injury history, bullocking through 28 overs for the richest analysis of his Test match career. His display alone was worthy of a Test match win, and Australia's openers have now made that a possibility.

 

English brows were starting to furrow in the afternoon, and the hosts owed much to Tim Bresnan and Swann for lower order innings of aggression and good sense to set as many as 299 for an Australian victory. The tourists rued a line-ball lbw call from Aleem Dar that went against them and in favour of Bresnan in the second over of the second new ball, while a dropped catch by Steven Smith at long on cost another precious 13 runs with England nine down.

 

Rogers and Warner knocked 11 runs off that target before lunch, while England lost one of their two decision reviews from a James Anderson lbw appeal against the older batsman that pitched outside leg stump. Clouds enveloped Chester-le-Street as the interval arrived, and rain delayed the resumption by a little more than an hour.

 

When the players did return, it was Warner and Rogers who grasped the initiative. Putting away bad balls and a few good ones, they surged into a meaningful partnership, taking some sting out of the ball, the pitch and England's bowlers. Warner has seldom played better in Tests, repeatedly piercing the offside field with back foot punches, then advancing to loft Swann over wide long-off for six.

Rogers was a little scratchier, and overturned one caught behind shout from Anderson as he had been struck on the thigh rather than the outside edge of the bat, but otherwise offered a reprise of his first innings effort. He swivelled to pull Bresnan and by doing so registered Australia's first century opening stand of the series, the ideal platform for a steep chase.

 

England were looking bereft of ideas, resorting to lengthy conferences in the middle and messages passed down from the coach Andy Flower via the drinks waiters. It was to be Swann who revived them, finding spin at pace to find Rogers' outer edge and allowing Jonathan Trott to claim the low catch. Usman Khawaja had enough time to make a positive start before the interval arrived.

 

The six overs that remained to be bowled with the old ball when Australia resumed in the field did not trouble Ian Bell and Bresnan, as they steeled themselves for a refreshed Harris. But the new projectile immediately started to dance on a pitch showing increasing signs of wear. Bresnan shouldered arms to one ball from Jackson Bird that seamed back and would have clipped the top of the stumps, but that was not enough to overturn Dar's not out verdict - Australia lost their final review.

 

First ball of Harris' second over was fast, skidding and low of bounce, crashing into Bell's stumps after 254 minutes' batting of the highest class. Matt Prior marched out for precisely one delivery, which kicked up off a similar length to the previous one and crashed into off stump off the batsman's arm. Stuart Broad averted the hat-trick, but was soon pinned on the gloves by a vicious bouncer from around the wicket.

 

Harris now had six wickets and England a lead of 243. Knowing this was not enough, Bresnan moved up a gear, clouting Bird out of the attack with a series of muscular blows, then putting a dent in the figures of Harris. Swann followed up by gliding Peter Siddle's first ball of the morning to the cover fence. Australian shoulders began to slump.

 

Clarke replaced Siddle with Nathan Lyon, and his maiden calmed the innings. Harris then bowled similarly tightly next over to Bresnan and was rewarded with a return catch and his best figures in Tests. Swann's response to the fall of the ninth wicket was to try to hit Lyon into the stands, and he offered a high, swirling chance to Smith. He was under the ball in plenty of time but did not get entirely balanced, and the ball bounced out of tense hands.

 

Swann took England's lead near enough to 300 before Lyon found Anderson's outside edge. They had more than doubled the runs Australia's tail managed to cobble on the previous morning.

Lunch Australia 270 and 11 for 0 (Rogers 5*, Warner 2*) need a further 288 runs to beat England 238 and 330 (Bell 113, Bresnan 45, Harris 7-117) 

Australia were set 299 to win the fourth Test in Durham after England's tail clattered 96 runs in 90 minutes despite another lion-hearted display from Ryan Harris. On a pitch now starting to misbehave noticeably, England owed much to Tim Bresnan and Graeme Swann for lower-order innings of aggression and good sense.

By lunch, Chris Rogers and David Warner had knocked 11 runs off that target, while England lost one of their two decision reviews from a James Anderson lbw appeal against Rogers that pitched outside leg stump. Clouds enveloped Chester-le-Street as the interval arrived, and rain is predicted to interrupted the pursuit in the afternoon.

The Australians will rue a tight lbw call from Aleem Dar that went against them and in favour of Bresnan in the second over of the second new ball, while a dropped catch by Steven Smith at long-on cost another precious 13 runs with England nine down. All patted the broad back of Harris, who put in an astounding effort given his age and injury history, bullocking through 28 overs for the richest analysis of his Test-match career. 

The six overs that remained to be bowled with the old ball did not trouble Bell and Bresnan, as they steeled themselves for a refreshed Harris. But forewarning is not always enough, and the new projectile immediately started to dance on a pitch showing increasing signs of wear. Bresnan shouldered arms to one ball from Jackson Bird that seamed back and would have clipped the top of the stumps, but that was not enough to overturn Dar's not-out verdict - Australia lost their final review.

If Australia were upset by this, they did not have long to wallow. The first ball of Harris' second over was fast, skidding and low of bounce, crashing into Bell's stumps after 254 minutes' batting of the highest class. Matt Prior marched out for precisely one delivery, which kicked up off a similar length to the previous one and crashed into off stump off the batsman's arm. Stuart Broad averted the hat-trick and pilfered a trio of boundaries, but was then pinned on the gloves by a vicious bouncer from around the wicket. 

Harris now had six wickets and England a lead of 243. Rip out the last two quickly and the match would be finely balanced. Bresnan had other ideas however. Already looking comfortable in the company of Bell and Broad, he moved up a gear, clouting Bird out of the attack with a series of muscular blows, then putting a dent in the figures of Harris. Swann followed up by gliding Peter Siddle's first ball of the morning to the cover fence. Australian shoulders began to slump.

Clarke replaced Siddle with Nathan Lyon, and his maiden calmed the innings. Harris then bowled similarly tightly next over to Bresnan and was rewarded with a return catch and his best figures in Tests. Swann's response to the fall of the ninth wicket was to try to hit Lyon into the stands, and he offered a high, swirling chance to Smith. He was under the ball in plenty of time but did not get entirely balanced, and the ball bounced out of tense hands.

Swann then coshed another few vital runs, taking England's lead near enough to 300 before Lyon found Anderson's outside edge. They had more than doubled the runs Australia's tail managed to cobble on the previous morning. It appears likely to be a crucial contribution.